Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2005)
July 6. 2 0 0 5 JJortlanh (©bseruer Page A5 Making Changes One Step at a Time continued from Front boosting the income of more than 100.000 people. He worked toward the passage of the temporary Multnomah County income tax to keep Portland schools from damag ing cuts and prevent cuts to senior and public healthcare services. H e’s volun teered with Portland’s Gang Task Force, Stand forChildren, Coalition for a Livable Future and Oregon Center for Public Policy. “I’ve been working on the ground ev ery day in northeast Portland since 1998 on the issues of living wage jobs and public safety,” Shields said. From activism to politics Shields said he is proud to earn the support o f tw o popular lawmakers from P ortland’s black com m unity, Sen. Avel Gordly, the first African American woman to be elected to the Oregon Senate and Sen. M argaret Carter, the first African Am erican woman elected to the Oregon H ouseof Representatives. W orking with the m inority com m unity to find fairness in the public policies that affect them has been one o f his top priorities. The outreach to diversity included h irin g his legal a ssista n t. M arshal Jevning, a local African American gradu ate from the Uni versity o f Oregon School of Law. Jevning has also worked with Portland State U niversity, bringing m i nority outreach to com m unity high schools. “H e ’s an in c re d ib le w o rk h o rse ,” Shields said o f Jevning. “His legal train ing has been an incredible com plim ent to my social work training.” It’s being connected to the local com munity that allow s Shields to under stand the im portance o f neighborhood issues. “W hen I moved out here, I saw there was a big need,” Shields said. “W e're incarcerating more people than ever be fore and the (social) services could be improved.” Shields realized that although it was im portant to help a m ultitude o f people through volunteer work, nothing would really be revolutionized until laws were changed. “W hen public policy is beating the com m unity over the head with a 2 by 4 ,” Shields said, “are you really getting any w here?” During his cam paign, he put feelers out to get to know the com m unity even more. “ I knocked on probably 5,000 doors,” he said. “In this district, there’s a wide variety o f people. Y ou’ve got affluent p eo ple in Irvington and stru g g lin g people in the H um boldt area. W hen 1 knocked on doors at noon or 1 o ’clock. Freshman State Rep. Chip Shields o f north and northeast Portland relies on his office's legal assistant Marshal Jevning (right) to help him maneuver through a session o f the Oregon Legislature. I was am azed at how many people were home and unem ployed for a significant am ount o f time. Those are the people that I’ve worked with since 1998. It’s the main reason that I ran - to fight for people who are struggling.” This meant dealing with matters like repealing M easure 11 (m andatory m ini mum sentences) and w orking to make drug free zones fair to people of color. “Someone once said the impossible things take a little longer,” Shields said. “W e’re now at a point where w e’re spend ing more on prisons than w e’re spend ing on com m unity colleges. W e’re pay ing more for you to go to the state penitentiary than for you to go to O r egon State University. W e’re going to have a lot o f prisons open that we w on’t be able to operate and the state will be crippled. It’s much better if you can deal with things before the crisis.” Rep. Chip Shields (left) meets with Service Employee International Union members to discuss employment contract negotiations with Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Lessons in law Shields was warned about the frus trated legislative process, “but I felt like SAFEWAY © Visit Safeway's Web site at www.safeway.com ijO’M.[.fSSjK!MKS‘BRf>Sf ICE GLAZED gggnwMtlU »HTtMon^Wi i xi k« When public policy is beating the community over the head with a 2 by 4, are you really getting anywhere? — S tate R ep . C hip S hields , representing north and NORTHEAST PO RTLAND IN SA L E M I could focus in with laser-like intensity on a couple o f issues that I knew about,” Shields said. “I feel like being down there. I’ve been able to move the ball.” H e’s also been able to stop the w reck ing ball with some issues, like House Bill 2141. which would give the Department o f C orrections and Oregon Youth A u thority the ability to transfer inm ates to a mental institution w henever they see fit. Shields said it had the best o f inten tions, but that it meant overriding a long tradition of ci vil commitment procedures to prevent such transfers. He was really concerned that if 15-year-old convicted on a M easure 11 crim e is branded as m entally ill, they could get sent to the state hospital. “ I started scratching my head and I got my first street lesson. In a bill, if y o u 're ju st changing a particular sec tion, you have to include the changes that y o u ’re making. W hat I learned that week is that if y o u 're taking out an entire section, you do n ’t have to include the changes,” Shields said. Along with Jevning, he looked over the deleted section and went to action in get ting a large number of people to vote against the bill, which isn't easy. “Republicans have a very iron fist in the continued on page A6 Ingredients for life M anor House Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts SELECTED ----- for --- - excellence Dulcinea Mini-Watermelon 4 -lb. resealable frozen bag for $7.16 ea. SAVE up to 96< lb. Available at Safeway: MONEY TRANSFER Kellogg's Cereal PRICES EFFECTIVE JULY 2005 F«1 » I w VMmUi s m U i s i n T m u * u , ii ¡a# Items A prices m this ad are available at your local Safeway stores No sales to dealers restaurants or matifutions Sales in retail quantities only Ouarrtit e« of some items may be limited and subject to availability Not responsible tor typographical or pictonal errors We reserve the right to correct all printed errors On Buy One Get One Free ("BOGO") otters customer must purchase the first item to receive the second item free BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales if only a single item purchased the regular price applies Manufacturers coupons may be used on purchased items only - not on tree items ©2005 Safeway Stores. Inc 64-oz. Selected varieties 15 to 20-oz. Selected varieties. SAVE up to $3.19 on 2 SAVE up to $4.59 on 2 BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE F.QDAI OR HAW R VAUT FRF F HOP BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE IQ ! JAI OR IT-SSFR VALUE FRFÍ
